


Sun and June

by pinkbowbunny



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Fake Character Death, Second Chances
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-06
Updated: 2019-09-06
Packaged: 2020-10-10 22:05:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20535347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkbowbunny/pseuds/pinkbowbunny
Summary: An OC romance story in which Severus Snape faked his death at the battle of Hogwarts, and moved to America, where he eventually settles to live out in the Arizona desert. There he meets a older woman named June. NGL, this story is pretty much just a self-indulgent piece for me, lol. If you like it too and care to leave a comment or kudo, much love, but I basically just want a sweet lil OC to lay the love on Severus and make him soft again after all the years hardened him. Snape-haters, moan elsewhere if you don't think that he wasn't The Actual Worst. XP





	Sun and June

Severus Snape had long since said a tear-free goodbye to his old life... Successfully faked his death in the wizarding world, and vowed to never go back... Put a whole ocean and half a continent between him and them, drifting further and further every year until he settled in the warm place he was now... Yes, he now lived in all cursed places, America...

And of course, of all the places he could've ended up, it had to be just outside of a city called 'Phoenix'... Albus was no doubt rolling with laughter in his painfully real grave...

It was bloody unbearable in the summer without a damn strong cooling spell, but the little home he'd spelled up for himself among the other little makeshift-shack homes in this secluded desert park on the outskirts of the city is his, he made it, and nobody bothers him in it...

Usually.

Years and years have gone by since he left the wizarding world... Years since he's seen another wizard. And he liked to avoid humans in general most of the time, too. Thankfully this seems to be the place to do it for the most part. In the middle of heatwaves damn near no one wants to say anything to each other, and otherwise people just generally Get It that if you live by yourself in the middle of a desert, you want to be left alone.

But he does have a handful of sparse neighbors. It's just a sad fact that often times, in order to truly live "alone", unless one wants to actually live in a forest and grow and hunt all their own food, which Severus isn't keen on, he'd still like a grocery store nearby thanks -- But in order to have that small luxury, you have to live at least close enough to "civilization". 

And if you're living close enough to a civilization for people to see that you're there at all, sitting in the middle of a mobile home park in the middle of a desert with about 5 or 6 other homes around you looked a lot less suspicious than just sitting in a lone home all by yourself. 

It looks considerably less suspicious if your neighbors are all also a bunch of weirdos who general keep Weird Stuff in their obviously fake 'lawns'/grass rugs, if they even bothered to have one and didn't just pile or attempt to assort random stuff in front of their homes on the desert floor.

Phoenix was about as far from the wizarding world he'd known as you could get, but there actually were a few surrounding magical hotspots in these deserts, and a lot of the people here believed in the silly notion of magic.

So if anyone did happen to see him boiling something in a cauldron or leaving some weird stuff out in mason jars to soak up some sun, people usually didn't say much about it, though he still spelled it to look like something normal like tea or pickles or some kind. Heck, there was a guy a few miles down the road that kept dead lizards and scorpions in jars outside of his house for no damn reason, he wasn't even a wizard. People just assumed he was like him, but not quite as crazy. And that's just how he liked it. Well, he didn't like being thought of as even a little crazy. But he probably deserved that...

They're all older people, living out here, of course. Most of them by themselves. A few older couples, but mostly widows. His two closest neighbors are still between fifty and a hundred yards away from him on both sides.

One is a man with very little decor around his home, just a few sports collectibles here and there. Sports People often like to talk about Sports, but he doesn't. He keeps to himself and his Greenbay Packer bumper stickers...

The other is a kind, slighty-past-middle-aged woman, who often keeps to herself too, but every once in a while she comes out of her abode to take a walk, going around the property to give samples of the various snacks she attempts to create, about once a month or so...

She hesitantly began offering Severus samples after a while as well. He declined the first time, but the second time around she seemed to be waving him over, like she wanted to talk to him. He realized she was offering him the cookie as a pretense to talk. Rather like a spy. That brought back memories. So he accepted her cardamom-cookie, after giving it a good smell to make sure there was nothing odd about it, and listened as she cupped her hand around her mouth and whispered close to his ear, "Hey, I'm your neighbor from the right hand side, June... You don't have internet, do you? I just thought someone should let you know... There's a reason why we all avoid Greenbay Packer Fan as much as he avoids us... You can look it up online if you have internet access, but if you don't, well... He's a damn pedophile. A real creep. Not one of those guys who say they made a mistake and screwed their 17-year-old girlfriend at 18. He's done the worst. I don't know why they let those bastards go free, they should never let them out of jail. I wish he'd just have a heart attack or something..."

The woman was normally as sweet as her confections to the other neighbors, but the venom she directed at the last man on the lane was as potent as a scorpion sting... It gave Severus a smirk, and he accepted another rather good cardamom-butter cookie from her, chewing it thoughtfully as he went back inside...

About three months later, just enough time to not seem too suspicious, Mister Greenbay Packer Fan who lived at the end of the lane died of a massive heart attack after a rattlesnake somehow got into his house and bit him... What a shame.

The baker from the middle of the lane began to visit a little more often after that.

She began to tell him bits about herself every time he accepted a treat. They were usually passably good, not great, not 'house elf magic-perfect', but good enough. Rarely, but sometimes, they came out a little wrong. Severus didn't like sweets much either way, but he forced himself to try her confections so as to not look like the new 'Asshole at the end of the lane', and also because he figured, after everything he'd done in the wizarding world... There was probably a lot of people who would like to shove those cookies down his throat and see him choke on them. The least he could do to repent is force himself to put up with the taste, and her tales...

She says she got pregnant with a daughter rather young. The father skipped town on her. In order to provide financially for the first child, she married an older man and gave him a son as well. He was unkind to her. As soon as the children turned 13 she sent them away to private schools to keep them away from him, dealing with the brunt of his unkindness by herself for years. He wouldn't bother to hit her most of the time, though he knew he could if he really wanted to. Most of the time he simply berated everything she did for him, no matter how hard she tried.

"...I guess it makes me a bad person, but I'm glad he died too..." She confesses one hot August day. After hearing her story and the similarities her situation has in common with what he remembers of his mother, he's inclined to be just a little kinder to her... "Maybe I shouldn't say that? Because for all I know god might be listening for once, but... If that's the case? I can't believe I'm saying this, but... Thank you, lord!"

He snorts with amusement around the snickerdoodle, and in his head quips, 'You're quite welcome...'

Maybe it's because she sort of reminds him of his mother, and also sort of reminds him of Albus, bringing over those sweets for him, and of Charity and her, well, charity... He finds her presence tolerable enough, so he lets her continue to make her monthly visits. As long as he's not in the middle of a complicated potion he tries to make time for her. Sometimes she brings something good. Sometimes she brings something not too great. Either way, he thanks her for bothering to bring them.

Always making offerings. Never asking for anything from him but a few minutes of his time and to bother his tastebuds and 'pick his brain' a bit. It was a simple enough way to get what little human interaction he supposed he needed, he told himself...

She looks a bit like Charity... But she's more plump, like Molly Weasley. It hurts to be reminded of kindhearted Burbage, but its probably the least he can do to repent, to be reminded of her face every day. It's the least of what he deserves...

A year goes by. Another. One of the couples who were living closest to the gate entrance is now widowed like the rest. She brings them sweets as a form of sympathy...

Another year passes. The widow joins their mate. Their mobile home and possessions are quickly removed by relatives. 

She skips a few visits. He briefly wonders if she has died too. She didn't seem to be in ill health last he saw of her though? For the first time ever, he knocks on her door...

She doesn't answer. He's a little concerned but it doesn't smell like anyone died... He leaves for the time being. He considers returning the next day but she comes to him first that time. Explains that she's been depressed because of the couple passing away. He offers her some tea, insists on it really. Says it will improve her mood. And of course it will, it's got a few extra things brewed into it to assure it...

By the end of the visit she's smiling serenely again. Severus, or 'Alan' as she's always known him, sighs in relief. Depression comes off as mopiness in her and its not a good look. He doesn't like excessively happy people but her mellow mood has become familiar to him by now and seeing her in distress or otherwise disturbed weighs on him...

She resumes her regular visits. Most of the time bringing her own homemade things, sometimes going out of her way to treat him from something from a bakery nearby the coffee shop she works at. She tells him she always wanted to be a baker and own her own bakery as a girl, but she was only ever so-so at cooking, and she had no mind for business matters at all. By the time she was done raising the children, she just wanted to get away from her husband herself. He made it hard. Despite being a shameless cheat, he still wanted to own her, didn't want another man to have her. Thankfully the heavens saw fit to take the choice out of his hands when he made the choice to drink and drive one night, ending his life in a car crash and allowing his wife just enough insurance money to get a very modest place to live off of. Most of it went to the son though, hence the need for her to still need a job.

But she likes it, she says. The closest she'll ever come to having her own bakery or cafe, and she like getting ideas for new sweets from the different customers who come in and share. She also gets inspiration from food shows and videos online. 

One mildly warm day, the next late February she brings the newest product of one of her 'inspirations'. A ring of heart-shaped... Well, they look like some kind of pale pink cookies, at first. Covered in a white powder, with a small dollop of jam on top. Strawberry, he assumes, and is correct.

She explains excitedly, her plump cheeks glowing with a strawberry color, too. "They're strawberry mochi-dough cakes! I think they're pretty good! They're Japanese, I got the recipe off an online video!"

They look innocent enough. He's never heard of Japanese 'Mochido' Cakes, but eh, nothing she's made has ever made him sick before.

Well, there's a first time for everything...

Rather unexpectedly, as soon as he bites off the tip of the heart, he realizes... This is Absolutely The Worst Thing she has EVER made...

It's truly and completely disgusting. The jam on top is recognizable but this 'mochi dough' cake... It's actually literally dough...?

It's the oddest cross between a flour-dough and a gummy-candy like texture. It doesn't even taste cooked. Chewing it is pure torture. His mouth forces him to slow and stop. He can't go on. He knows he deserves this. But he just can't...

He stalls for a second. Oh Merlin. She's staring at him. How is he going to spit this godawful thing out...

After a moment though, her lips crack into a smirk, and a soft series of snort-giggles bubble forth. "Ehehe... You hate it, don't you Alan? You can go ahead and spit it out if you want. Admittedly this is probably not my best work..."

While he gratefully spits it out into a nearby trash bin, she continues her light laughter at her own expense, "It's okay... Those clever Japanese people make theirs look so good in their videos... I was pretty sure I made them just like they did, but I must have done something wrong, like always... Thank you for almost forcing yourself to swallow it anyways, ahaha..."

He's hearing his own harsh criticisms through life in his own head while she replays her own... He's hearing his father's criticisms, mirroring her husband's... 

"Admittedly, no, this wasn't your best work, June..." He can't help but stress, never wanting her to bring over anything quite like it again. "But... It is... Admirable. That you tried something new. Whenever you make a mistake, you always try again... For some of us that's really all we can do, unfortunately. But it's better than not even trying. It's better than resigning yourself to being an absolute rotter..."

"A...?" She gives him a funny look, and then another brief smile before it fades away. "Aha, thank you... I'm glad to know you don't think of me as an 'absolute rotter', even though I didn't really manage to do much with my life so far... But I loved and protected my children as best I could, at least. If I could only have gotten my cakes and cookies right every time, maybe then I could have been extra useful for them and myself... I'm sorry, Alan. Thank you for listening. And... Sorry again, about how the Mochi cakes turned out..."

The way she's speaking seems a little suspicious and sets him on edge. "June. There's too many ways to count that you could be worse than 'Not good enough'. Trying to be good at all IS good enough."

She swallows past the disappointment, smiles past the linger pain in her throat, and then nods, and gives him another smile. This smile seems stronger, more meaningful to him. Because he knows how much harder it was to fake for him... "Thanks, Alan. I think... I think you're 'Good enough' too, ehehe..." 

He rewards her lame attempt at a joke with the briefest of curled lip-corner, before it's spirited away by the rolling of his eyes. "Please do take the rest with you. Forgive me but I must confess I won't finish the leftovers..."

She rolled her own eyes and took the plate back from him. He noted the heart-shapes one last time but doesn't think... TOO much of it... It's past Valentine's, and Japanese women often make their food 'cute', she was probably just emulating them... Yes, she's brought over heart and star-shaped cookies a couple times before, it likely means nothing... She's like him, nervous and scared to touch anyone after coming to expect physical abuse for years. It's a bit messed up, but he feels safer around her precisely because she knows what it's like not to feel safe...

Yes, just a coincidence, that shape...

She leaves without another word, but with a smile on her face, so he feels confident he'll see at least a few more batches of something half-decent from her in the future...

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

About a week later, 'Alan' comes knocking at June's door for once...

He holds out a small box for her, apparently expecting her to take it, and to hurry up about it. He greets her by informing her, "They were perfect..."

Naturally, she's confused, until she starts to read what's on the box: Strawberry Mochi Ice Cream. 

"I tried one of these from the store." He explains. "If they're store-quality then they're made exactly how they're supposed to be. Other than the ice cream filling these taste no different from yours. The mochi is supposed to taste that horribly gummy and doughy, I suppose. So you didn't mess up on them. You made them just perfect. They're just not very good to me. So if you want the rest of these, go ahead and take them..."

The smile comes to her lips just as slowly, but it's genuine this time. "Thank you, Alan... It was kind of you to let me know that..."

He nods, then awkwardly escapes back to his own property, his kindness quota filled for at least a year, in his opinion...

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

(( Working on a second, steamier part, lol... May add that later... If you care to, let me know if you guys like it so far... ^^ ))


End file.
